Body-bolster.



116.739,916. PATENTBD- SEPT. v29; 1903.

s. oTIs.

i BODY BOLSTBR. APPLICATION FILED HAY 11, 1903. I0 IODEL.

Il In I e v No. 739,916.

UNITED STATES f Patented september 29, 1903. i

PATENT OFFICE.

SPENCER oTIs, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIsQAssIGNOH To NATIONAL PATENT HOLDINGCOMPANY, on SOUTH. DAKOTA, OF RAPID CITY, SOUTH DA- KOTA, AND CHICAGO,ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION `or SOUTH DAKOTA.

BODY-BOLSTER.

SP1?CIIEICgIfL'JJION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,916, datedSeptember 29, 1903. 4 Application filed May 11, 1903. Seria1No. 156.651.ING model.) l

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SPENCER O'IIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, am

the inventor of certain new and useful Improvements in Body-Bo'lstersfor Railway- Cars, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to that class of bolsters having an uppercompression member, Io a lower ltension member removably attachedtolsuch compression member, and struts arranged between the compression.and tension members provided with means for holding the main sills,subsills, and truss-rods and permitting such sills to be removedwithoutdisturbing the upper compression member or truss-rods. Y l p Theprincipal object of the invention is to provide a simple, economical,and efficient zo body-bolster for railway-cars. 1

A further objectof the invention is to provide a body-bolster forrailway-cars having an upper compressionmember and a lower tensionmember removably attached thereto,

2 5 with struts arranged therebetween having pockets adapted to receiveand removably holdthe car-sills, so as to efficiently hold the sills inthe struts and permit their removal by moving thelower tension memberwithout 3o disturbing the upper compression member.,

Afurther object of the invention is to provide a bolster comprising theabove elements, in combination with a central bearing-plate extendingoutward longitudinally of the bol- 3 5 ster beneath the sill-supportingstruts, whereby such bearing-plate serves l to materially strengthen thebolster and support the sills.

A further object is, to provide a body-bolster with struts adapted toreceive and hold 4o the sills of a car removablyV therein and aremovable lower tension member so arranged in connection therewithas topermit the removal of the sills without disturbing either the uppercompression member of the bolster or the sill-bearing struts,such strutsalso servin g to brace the bolster, so as to prevent transverse play.

Other and further objects of the invention will appearfrom anexamination of the draw- 5o ings andthe following description andclaims.

the upper compression member.

The invention consists in the features, combinations, and details ofconstruction herein- A after described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis alongitudinalelevationof'abody-bolster con- 55 structed in accordance with my. improvements,Fig2, a plan view thereof; Fig. 3, a view in elevation of one ofthesill-bearing struts; Fig. 4, a sectional plan viewof the strut shownin Fig.,3, taken on line 4; and 6o Fig. 5, a transverse sectional viewof the bolster, taken on line 5A of Fig. l. In constructing a bolster'inaccordancewith my improvementsl I provide an upper'metallic compressionmember ct, having downwardly-extending metallic web portions b, attachedthereto by means of; angle-irons c and rivets d, such compression memberbeing also provided with curved outer ends e and bolts f forstrengthening the parts and hold- 7o ing them firmly together. A lowermetallic tension member gis provided and removably attached to suchcompression member and Web portions by means of angle-irons h, arrangedon both sides of the web. These angle-irons are riveted to such tensionmember by means of rivets and removably attached lto the web by means ofbolts j, which extend through perforations in the angle-irons of thelower tension member and through the web 8o portions above described, soas to hold the lower tension member removably attached to v Bolts k alsoY extend through both the upper compression and lower tension members,at each end thereof, and,together with the bolts and angleirons alreadydescribed, serve to still more securely hold the lower tension memberremovably in position. A metallic Vcenter strut Z is mountedintermediate the upper and lower 9o forsupporting truss-rods r, so thatthe entire Ioo weight supported by such truss-rods rests directly overthe center of such side-wall portions, the upper ends of which areconnected downwardly-extending side flanges w, adapted to engage thelower tension member of the.

bolster and hold the parts in position. Each of the side struts is alsoprovided with a standard portion y, extending upward from the base andhaving a pocket 2 at its upper end and immediately over the centerthereof adapted to support a truss-rod 3 therein. The inner side of eachof such struts is provided with horizontal walls 4 and 5 and aperpendicular wall 6 at right angles thereto, all extending outwardtransversely of the bolster and forming a pocket adapted to receive andhold in position a sill 7 and efficiently brace the bolster and sillswith relation to each other. The lower portion of the inner side of eachof these side struts is provided with a perpendicular wall 8, adapted torest against a sub or draft sill 9, and, together with the center strutand the removable tension member, hold such subsill removably inposition between them. lThe above elements of each side strut are allconnected by lneans of an integral web 10, and the perpendicular wall ofthe upper pocket portion is provided with perforations 11 for receivingabolt 12 therethrough, which passes through the sill 7 in such pocket andthe' main center sill 13 ofthe car, so as to hold such sills firmly inposition and at the same time permit them to be removed upon the removalof the lower tension member without disturbing either the upper tensionmember or the struts. The struts are all preferably' attached to theupper suspension member by means of rivets 14.

The perpendicular wall of the upper pocket portion of each of the strutsis of such length, as shown in Fig. 2, as to greatly exceed the width ofthe upper tension member, and as the inner face thereof rests snuglyagainst the sill, which is mounted in the pocket, it will be readilyseen that these struts not only serve to firmly hold the sill inposition, but serve as a material strengthening-brace for the bolster,bracing the bolster transversely, longitudinally,and perpendicularly,thus adding greatly to the rigidity of the car.

In order to still further perfect the eciency and strength ofl thebolster, a center bearing-plate 15 is provided, comprising a circularbase or bearing portion 16, having end portions 17, which extend outwardtherefrom beneath the sills and to the outer edges of thesill-supporting pockets of the sidev struts. This bearing-plate isattached to the lower tension member by means ot'- bolts or rivets 18 orin any ordinary and well-known manner, and as it extends entirelybeneath the sills and the sill-supporting pocket portions of the sidestruts it will be seen that it adds materially to the strength of thebolster and serves not only as a. bearing-plate, but also in thecapacity of a sill-supporting member. Side bearing-plates 19 areattached to the lower tension member, near the opposite ends thereof, byrivets 20 or in any ordinary and well-known manner and are removablewith such movable tension member.

The opposite ends of the lower tension member extend downward and towardthe center at an incline from the ends of the compression member, andbeing connected, as above described, to the web portions of the bolsterand to the upper member it will be readily seen that the parts are welladapt-ed to stand' the great stress and strain to which they aresubjected and at the same time provide the lightest possibleconstruction consistent with the strength required. It will also bereadily understoodby those skilled in the art that the side struts,being provided with pockets at the upper ends thereof which openinwardly, are adapted to eiciently hold the sills of the car thereinmounted and form a material brace between such sills and bolster. Inthis way great rigidity of the parts is as required. The center sills orsub or the draft sills, and particularlyv the latter, .may thus bereadily removed and new sills replaced without disturbing the uppertension member of `the truss-rods. It will also be seen that althoughthe lower tension member when in position is held lrigidly in place, asabove described, it is readily removable and serves, in connection withthe transversely-extending pocketed struts and elongated bearing-plate,to form a very eficient bolster, well braced in all directions withrelation to its respective parts and also with relation to thecar-sills.

It is desirable that the extreme outer ends of the bolster be made asstrong as possible and that the angle of the upper compression memberand the inclined portions of the lower tension member be maintainedsubstantially as shown in Fig. 1, so as to afford a high degree ofstrength and employ as light a construction as possible in connectionwith the other advantages of a built-np bolster. A pair offilling-plates 22 is therefore mounted at each end of the bolster on4opposite sides of the webs and between the transversely-extendingflanges of the upper compression and lower tension members, and the ends23 of the upper compression member are bent inward, so as to engage theextreme ends 24 of the lower tension member, the parts being held inposition, as already described, by means of bolts k and f. By thisconstruction of the outer ends of the bolster it will be seen 'that theweight, which rests upon the extreme ends ofthe bolster, may besustained with the same efficiency substantially as if the lower tensionmember and its langle-bar extended` IOO upper compression member, alower tension member` removably attached thereto, and strut mechanismmounted intermediatesuch members and provided with pockets for receivingand removably holding center sills of the car-frame, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a body-bolster, the combination of an upper compression member, alower tension member removably attached thereto, and

i sills of a car-frame, substantially as described.

3. In a body-bolster, the combination of an upper compression memberprovided with web portions extending downward therefrom, a lower tensionmember removably attached to such upper compression member and webportions, and strut mechanism rigidly attached to the upper compressionmember and removably attachedto the lower tension member and providedwith pocket portions forreceiving and hold-ing center sills ofthecarframe therein, substantially as described.

.4. In a body-bolster, the combination of an upper compression memberprovided with web portions extending downwardly therefrom, a lowertension member removably attached thereto, strut mechanism attached tothe upper compression member and removably attached to the lower tensionmember and provided with angular walls extending outwardly transverselyof the bolster beyond the edges of Athe'upper compression memberthereof, and forming pockets in such strut mechanism for receivingandholding center sills of the car-frame, substantially as described Y5. In a body-bolster, the combination of an upper compression member, alower tension member, meansfor removably attaching the lower tensionmember to the upper compression member, strut mechanism mountedintermediate such members and provided with pockets for receiving andremovably holding center sills of a car-frame, and a centerbearing-plate attached to the lower side of such bolster and providedwith end portions extending outward beneath the said strut mechanism tosupport the same, substantially as described. I

6. In a body-bolster, the combination of an upper compression member, alower tension member, means for removably attaching the lower tensionmember tothe upper compression member, a center strut mountedintermediate such members provided with upy right side walls and havingpockets immediately over the center of such side walls for supportingthe truss-rods of the car, and side vstruts mounted upon opposite sidesof the center strut, each removably attached to the lower tension memberand provided with perpendicular and horizontal walls extending outwardtransversely of the Vbolster beyond the edges of the upper tensionmember and forming pocketsv for receiving the sills of the car,substantially as described.

7. In a body-bolster, the combination of an upper compression member, alower tension member removably attached thereto, a center strut rigidlyattached to the upper compression member and removably attached to thelowertension member and comprising vupright side walls having pockets atthe upperv end thereof for receiving the truss-rods of the car, sidestruts mounted upon oppositefl sides of such center strut each rigidlyattached to the upper compression member and removably attached to thelower tension mem- -ber and comprising an upper standard portion havinga pocket for receiving the trussrod of the car therein, and integralangular walls extending outward transversely of the bolster and formingpockets for receiving and removably holding the sills of the car, and

means for removably attaching the lower tension member to the uppercompression member and web portions, substantially as described.

8. In a body-bolster, the combination of an upper compression memberprovided with downwardly-extending web portions, alower tension member,a center strut rigidly attached to the upper compression member andremovably attached to the lower tension member and comprising uprightside walls provided with pockets at the upper end thereof for receivingthe truss-rods of the car, side struts mounted upon opposite sides ofsuch center strut each rigidly attached to the upper compression memberand removably attached to the lower tension member and each comprisingan upperstandard portion having a pocket for receiving the truss-rod ofthe car therein and angular Walls extending outward transversely of thebolster forming pockets for receiving and removably holding the sills ofthe car, means for removably attaching the lower tension member to theupper compression member andl web portions, and a center bearing-plateattached to the lower compresr upper compression member, a lower tensionmember removably attached thereto, strut mechanism mounted intermediatesuch members, a pair of filling-plates mounted at the outer end andbetween the upper compression and lower tension members, and means forremovably holding the lower tension mem- IOO IIO

ber in engagement with the upper compression member and filler-plates,substantially as described.

10. In a body-bolster, the combination of an upper compression memberprovided with transverse anges, a lower tension member removablyattachedthereto, strut mechanism mounted intermediate such members, webmechanism attached to the upper`compression member and removablyconnected with the lower tension member, and a pair of filling-platesmounted at each end of the bolster on opposite sides of the webmechanism and in engagement with the transversely-extending flanges ofthe upper and lower members, substantiallyas described.

11. In a body-bolster, the combination of an upper compression member, alower tension walls extending outward transversely of the bolster beyondthe edges of the upper compression member and forming pockets forreceiving and removably holding the sills of the car, substantially asdescribed.

SPENCER OTIS. Witnesses:

HARRY I. CROMER, ANNIE C. COURTENAY.

